[PPT] - Anne Marshall, PhD <amarshal@uvic.ca> Fran Guenette, MA PowerPoint Presentation

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Anne Marshall, PhD <amarshal@uvic.ca> Fran Guenette, MA <francisg@uvic.ca>

University of Victoria, BC, Canada NCDA Conference July 9-11, 2008 Washington, DC

Suggested APA style reference: Marshall, A., & Guenette, F. (2008, July). Possible selves: Concepts, applications, and implications for career practice and policy. Paper based on a program presented at the National Career Development Association Global Conference, Washington, DC.

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 School-to-work transitions are a major

developmental challenge facing young people (Arnett, 2006; Blustein, 2006)

 Given societal shifts, impact of a global

economy, & increasing emphasis on technological literacy, youth must participate early & actively in career planning

 Current labour market trends indicate most

workers will need to consider new employment options and pathways throughout careers

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 Individuals are active agents in their development

(Blustein, 2006; Savickas, 1995)

 Development is contextual in nature  Multidimensional relations exist between individuals

and their multiple worlds (social, school, family, etc.)

 “Selves” are socially constructed and maintained in

narrative and in context

 SCCT: Four variables influence career behavior:

behaviors, self-efficacy beliefs, outcome expectations, & goals (Lent, Hackett, & Brown, 1999)

 Cultural context impacts the variables

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Culture comprises “those understandings and ways of understanding that are judged to be characteristic of a discernable group” (Chambers, 2000, p.852)

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Pedersen (1991) views cultural, demographic, and personal constructs as differentiating minority from dominant culture. Culture denotes socially-constructed differences

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In our work we consider gender, age, ethnicity, place, rural/urban residence, and other factors to be examples

f cultural differences

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e.g., the socio-historical experience of First Nations populations & the impact of Indian residential school system make it challenging for First Nations youth

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 Are concrete representations of self  Provide a perspective on the self,

including supports, strengths, obstacles

 Provide both macroscopic and microscopic

views of the individual

 Act as permanent records that allow the

creators to return for review & revision

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 “Possible selves” is a future-oriented and personalized

form of self-concept that links to motivation (Markus & Nurius, 1986)

 Possible Selves represent the hopes, dreams and fears

f people considering their future

 Construction of possible selves involves using

imagination and reflection to create a set of

 hoped-for,  expected, and  feared future selves

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 Generates hopes & fears for the future  Develops understanding and appreciation of

personal values

 Connects current activities with hopes and fears

for the future

 Identifies factors that affect sense of self and

personal potential

 Increases motivation  Marshall & Guenette (2008) DVD & manual

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1. Creating a Possible Selves Brainstorm Map.

Brainstorming hoped for and feared possible selves (on a brainstorm map or paper)

2. Grouping and naming the hoped for & feared

selves

3. Debriefing the brainstorm map
4. Identifying most likely, least likely and most

wanted hoped for selves and feared selves

5. Transferring brainstorm information to overview

map

6. “Things to do right now.” Exploring how to

achieve or avoid various hopes and fears

7. Overall impressions, thoughts & feedback

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 Introduce the concepts  Give participants green and yellow post-it

sticky notes (or file cards)

 Invite participant to write as many hoped for

selves as possible, one per note – then do the same for feared selves

 Encourage them to be bold and to include

dreams and “long shots”

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 Have participant arrange hoped for and feared

selves into groups or categories and to give each group a name or title

 Groups may have mixed hopes & fears, or may

be all hopes or all fears

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 Have the participant explain how and why

they have categorized and arranged their selves

 Ask what led them to choose that grouping, or

that name, etc.

 They may change or add selves as they explain

the map – this is fine

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 Ask participant to work with hoped for

selves – choosing which hoped for self is most likely to occur (place a box around this

ne), least likely to occur (place a circle

around this one), and the hoped for self they really want (place a star beside this one) – these may overlap

 Do the same with feared selves

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 Transfer most likely (square), least likely

(circle) and most wanted (star) hoped for self to the Overview map

 Do the same for the fears  Facilitate exploration and discussion with

pen questions and curiosity (e.g., what led

you to … and how do you feel about that …)

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Hopes Fears

Most likely Most likely Least likely Least likely What I really want What I really want What I really fear What I really fear Least likely Least likely Most likely Most likely

If I want to allow this to happen If I want to give this hope more of a chance If I want to get here To avoid this To keep this least likely To understand why this is

_____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ___ _ _ _ ____

Possible Selves Map

_____ _ _ _ ____ Things I can do right now . . .

Marshall & Guenette, 2007

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 Connect or “anchor” their hopes and fears to

behaviours, e.g., For most likely to happen hope: What are some things you can do right now to ensure this hoped for self will happen?

 Least likely hope: What are some things you can do

right now if you want to give this hope more of a chance?

 Most likely feared self: What can you do to make sure

this does not happen?

 Most feared self: What can you do to avoid this?  Explore each hope and fear  Also ask what can you do next week? Next month?

Next year? Who can help with this?

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Participants can reflect on these questions during the debrief of the overview map:

 What did you learn about yourself from this interview?  What surprised you?  Think about your most important hoped-for selves –

how would your life be if these came true?

 What other activities could you engage in to help bring

about (or avoid) your most important possible selves

 What resources and supports do you think you might

need to achieve your most important possible selves or avoid your feared selves?

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 Encourage clients to look at the big picture of

their lives and not just a future career or job – family, personal values, relationships, interests, etc.

 Allow time for clients to reflect on choices,

brainstorm arrangement, and overall map – many important insights come up at this time

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 Use PS Mapping to collect information about client

interests and values, to develop short and long- term plans, & to evaluate, monitor, and refine plans

 With a few adaptations, Possible Selves Mapping

can be used in a group setting and in workshops

 Possible selves maps can help develop resiliency in

clients. The ability to self-appraise, realistically

evaluate capacity for actions and expected

utcomes, actively problem solve, change

perspectives, and have self-knowledge are valuable resources clients can develop through reflection

 Policy and program applications in work &

education

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Arnett, J. (2004). Emerging adulthood: The winding road from the late teens through the twenties. US: Oxford University Press.

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Blustein, D. (2006). The psychology of working: A new perspective for career development & public policy. NJ:Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Pub.

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Chambers, E. (2003). Applied ethnography. In N. Denzin & Y. Lincoln (Eds.). Collecting & Interpreting Qualitative Materials (2nd edition), pp. 389-418. Thousand Oakes: Sage Publications.

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Lent, R., Hackett, G. & Brown, S. (1999). A social cognitive view of school to work transition. Career Dev. Quarterly, 47, 297-311.

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Markus, H. & Nurius, P. (1986). Possible selves. American Psychologist, 41, 954-969.

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Marshall, A. & Guenette, F. (2008). Possible selves mapping process. (DVD & manual). Unpublished material. University of Victoria, BC.

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Pedersen, P. (1991). Multiculturalism as a generic approach to

counseling. Journal of Counseling and Development, 70, 6-12.

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